Why Brewers will trade for Tarik Skubal instead of Dodgers

There are a couple of things working in the favor of the Milwaukee Brewers, including a jump in production from Kyle Harrison. Also, they have a couple of star prospects ready for their MLB shot. And those are a couple of reasons the Brewers will trade for Taik Skubal instead of the Dodgers.

Now, we have to be realistic. If the Dodgers really want a star player, they always seem to have the most ammunition. However, the Brewers need to strike while the iron is hot. They’ve been a playoff team many times in recent years. How can they finally turn it into a World Series berth?

Brewers need to add SP Tarik Skubal

If the Brewers are going to find a way to get past the Dodgers, it has to start at the top of the rotation.

Yes, they have Jacob Misiorowski. He has proven to be one of the best starters in Major League Baseball. His inhumane fastballs have led to 108 strikeouts in 71 innings. His ERA (1.65) and WHIP (0.79) are magnificent. Misiorowski is exactly the type of pitcher the Brewers need in the postseason if they face the Dodgers.

However, the rest of the rotation needs fortification. As good as Harrison has been, he’s not the type of guy who could beat the Dodgers with everything on the line. However, he still has the rest of the season to prove that wrong. If he’s still dealing at this level in September, the issue needs to be revisited.

The Brewers clearly need a No. 2 guy. And Skubal would be 1A or 1B alongside Misiorowski. If each of those guys could get a pair of starts in the postseason, that’s a chance to close things out and ruin the Dodgers’ historic run.

This type of thinking is one reason the Brewers can, and should, beat the Dodgers to the punch for Skubal. There’s another reason, and it has to do with Skubal.

SP Tarik Skubal is on a Hall of Fame trajectory

Certainly, Skubal has plenty of work to do. Winning back-to-back Cy Young awards doesn’t guarantee a Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The proof of that comes from a guy like the Tigers’ Denny McLain, who earned the repeat Cy Young honors at ages 24 and 25 (1968-69), but didn’t reach Canton.

Also, Tim Lincecum won back-to-back honors for the Giants early in his career (2008-09), before falling off the cliff.

Skubal was cruising right along this year before the loose bodies in his elbow put him on the shelf. He may miss enough time to prevent a run at a third straight award. But he has made remarkable progress since the procedure.

And clearly, he’s a different animal. There’s probably plenty more left in his tank for this year and beyond. The Brewers should approach him as a guy who could lock horns with Shohei Ohtani in the postseason — and maybe even win a 1-0 or 2-1 dogfight.

Another reason for the deal is the Brewers’ window

It’s harder for a smaller-market team to maintain excellence for the long haul. The Brewers have already put together quite a run. They’ve made the playoffs seven times in the last eight seasons. And they’ve won three straight NL Central titles.

It’s not impossible for them to stay in the mix for another few seasons. But this may be their best chance to get over the top with the current mix of pitchers and hitters — assuming they get a guy like Skubal.

Power hitting is an issue, but that’s just another reason why the Brewers need to make their pitching staff even more dominant. They are currently toe-to-toe with the Dodgers in team ERA, trailing only 3.11 to 3.08 heading into Thursday’s games. And they are No. 3 in MLB in strikeouts.

Strikeouts are what turn the tide in playoff games. They can erase errors, bloop hits, and a few bad pitches.

If you don’t believe in the Brewers’ chances of making it all the way, you’re going against the current odds. They stand at No. 5 in MLB, according to odds from DraftKings Sportsbook via ESPN.

Of course, the Dodgers are No. 1, followed by the Yankees, Mariners, and Braves. And if the Dodgers get Skubal instead of the Brewers, pretty much everybody else can start planning on ways to try to prevent a four-peat.

Former major-league pitcher Dontrelle Willis said it’s time for the Brewers to go for it, according to Fox Sports.

“I would love to see them [the Brewers] get Skubal because he has the big-game experience, and he can go on the road and shut the opposing team’s offense down, whether it’s the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Atlanta Braves or anybody else, especially coming from the left side,” the FOX Sports MLB Analyst said. “This is a situation where, if you’re a Brewers fan, you want them to take the next step because they’ve been to the postseason, but they’ve had a lot of heartbreak, especially in recent memory, in some tough spots.

The post Why Brewers will trade for Tarik Skubal instead of Dodgers appeared first on ClutchPoints.